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George Mason students are developing innovative virtual reality (VR) tools and applications as interns at Great Victory Legends, a startup founded by Associate Professor Craig Yu. Yu's research in VR and computer graphics underpins the startup, whose interns are funded via the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia Node's internship program.
The CCI internship program has supported six student interns at Great Victory Legends so far, with three currently working there. The interns, coming from both the College of Engineering and Computing and the College of Visual and Performing Arts, bring a diverse set of skills to the team. They are majoring in electrical engineering and computer game design and digital arts, respectively.
Great Victory Legends uses artificial intelligence (AI) and optimization techniques to generate virtual environments and content. Its flagship project uses AI to generate virtual training paths for gym bikes, a concept that has already earned a patent.
A key project the interns are working on now is a tool that tracks human performance in VR environments and generates training content accordingly. The interns are also involved in creating VR game prototypes that showcase the company's technology, which are essential for demonstrating the potential of Great Victory Legends' tools to investors and commercial partners.
"We want to show people how this works and potentially show it to commercial partners like investors," Yu explained.
Through the successful partnership between Great Victory Legends and CCI, student interns are not only contributing to the startup's success but also gaining invaluable experience that will prepare them for future careers in the tech industry.